Valve for gas pilot lights



Nov, 6, 1934. E. L. HALL r AL 1,980,052

VALVE FOR GAS PILOT LIGHTS Filed July 24, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Edwin Hall Edward 1I rac@ Nov. 6, 1934. E. L.. HALL Er AL VALVE FOR GAS PILOT LIGHTS Filed July 24, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 my@ L@ .w w w w dd E@ o m@ m. w .Q w ma .A R. ,ri .I w NKNK www NN bw w .Inn r l! |I||\\ N@ mm |,II .www www Nk m@ mv b. EMV QNWM. N m.. mum.

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Patented Nov. 6, 1934 OFFICE I 1,980,052 VALVE ron das error meurs Edwin L. Hall, Philadelphia, and Edward .1. Brady,

Lansdowne, Pa.; Adele S. Brady, administratrix of said Edward .1. Brady, deceased, as-

signors to The United Gas Improvement Company, Philadelphia Pa., a corporation of Penn- Sylvania A Application July 24, 1933, Serial No. 681,938

5' Claims.

The present invention relates to gas pilot lights and other gas burners consuming gfas at a relatively loW rate.

The ow of gas to gas pilot lights and other such low rate burners is usually controlled by now through a needle valve orice which must be relatively narrow to secure the desired low rate of flow. Such needle valves are-very liable to stoppage because of particles of gummy or resinous material in the gas or because of dust with or Such stoppage causes outage of the pilot burner, a source of danger to the consumer and expense to the distributing company in correcting the trouble.

In the 'copending application, Brady and Fulweiler, 667,647, iiled April 24, 1933, there is described a control device in which the ow of gas to the pilot burner is controlled by passage through a relatively long helical passage formed by a male screw thread held tightly in an enclosing tube, or by a female thread tightly enclosing an interior surface, to provide along tortuous passage through which the gas passes, the width and depth of which are many times the width of a needle. valve orifice adjusted for the same ilow under the same conditions. Such controls as explained in the above application have been shown by test to be very much less liable to stoppage than needle valve orices currentlyemployed.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved control device of the above type which is readily adjustable to meet varying conditions of pressurev and flow, and which may be employed on a wide variety of gas appliances.

The invention will be described in connection with the attached drawings which form a part of this specification and which show forms of the invention chosen for illustration and in which Figure 1 shows chieily in cross section a form of the apparatus of the. invention.

Fig. 2 shows a cross section of the apparatus of Fig. 1 along the line AA in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows an end elevation of the sleeve members of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 shows an end elevation of the valve member of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows chiefly in cross section the apparatus of Fig.v 1 in combination with a torch ignition valve device.'

Fig. 6 shows chiey in side elevation the apparatus of Fig. 5 connected to the burner bar and pilot of a gas range, and

Fig. 7 shows the apparatus of Fig. 1 connected to the burner bar and pilot of a gas range provided with a flash igniter.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, 1 indicates a tubular member (shown in cross section on the left, in elevation on the right and broken away in the middle) which is provided with the screw thread indicated at 2, and is tightly enclosed by the sleeve 3, forming a helical passage between threads and sleeve indicated at 4. The sleeve 3 is provided with a series of slots in its outer surface indicated in Fig. 2 by numbers 5 to 18 inclusive. Successive slots are in communication through the sleeve with successive turns of the helicaly passage 4, by means of ports indicated by numbers 19 to' 32 inclusive, shown in dotted line in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Fig. 1. 'I'he sleeve 3 is surrounded by a tightly tting outer sleeve 33 which bounds the slots in sleeve 31and makes individual passages of them. 34 indicates a. gas inlet passage leading from a source of gas supply (not shown) and which may be provided in the plug 35 adapted to be threaded into the sleeve 33 and abutting the ends of sleeves 33, 3 and the tubular member 1. The plug may be threaded as at 36 for connection to the source of gas supply (not shown). The gas inlet passage 34 is in communication with one end of the helical passage 4 by registry with the annular channel 37. The other end of the helical passage 4may be in communication with the interior of the sleeve 3 as in the illustration or may be blocked on. The sleeve 3 may be threaded as at 38 to receive the threaded gas outlet pipe 39 leading to the pilot burner (not shown). The slot passages in sleeve 3 extend to the end face of the sleeve 3 'at 40 and are arranged so that they may be put into or'out of communicationwith the passage 41, which leads from the end face of the sleeve 3 back into the interior of the sleeve 3. Such communication or shut oi is established by the rotatable valve member 42 which is provided with the annular groove 43, which registers with the passage 41 in all positions of the valve 42, and the groove 44 which leads into the annular groove 43 from the groove 45 which is adapted to be regisj tered with successive slots in the sleeve as the valve member is rotated. The outer sleeve 33 is lthreaded at 46 to engage the angednut 47 which when screwed down locks the valve member 42 tightly against the end faces of sleeves 33 and 3.

- In operation gas flows from the source of supply through the gas inlet passage 34and the annular passage 37 into the helical passage 4. In the apparatus as previously described if the groove 45 is registered with none of the slot passages in the sleeve, the gas flows through the entire length of the helical passage 4 and into the interior of sleeve 3 beyond the member 1- and thence into the outlet pipe 39 and by Way of this pipe to the pilot burner (not shown). This is the adjustment for minimum flow for a given pressure. If the valve member is turned so that the groove is registered with slot 6 as indicated in Fig. 1, the gas flowing through the helical passage 4 is provided with a by-pass around the farther turns of the helical passage, by way of port 20,'slot passage 6, grooves 45, 44 and 43 and the passage 41 leading back to the interior of the sleeve thence into the outlet pipe.

Registry of the groove 45 with successive ports, by-passes more and more turns of the helical passage and reduces the travel of the gas through the helical passage increasing the gas oW. The adjustment of flow may be convenientlyl performed without disconnecting the apparatus. It is merely necessary to slacken the nut 47 so that the valve member 42 may be turned, then to turn the valve member until the desired flow is secured as indicated by the appearance of the gas vflame at the burner, and then to tighten the nut 47 so as to hold the valve member 42 tightly against the seat formed by the end faces of the sleeves.

Referring to Fig. 5, 50 generally indicates the apparatus of Fig. 1, connected to the discharge i side of the torch now valve generally indicated as 51, which replaces the plug 35 of Fig. 1. 52 is the gas inlet to the torch flow valve leading from a source of supply (not shown) to the valve chamber 53. Ihis chamber is threaded and provided with the threaded valve seat member 54, which provides a seat for the valve 55. The valve stem 56 is threaded into the push button 57 which slides in an extension 58 of the valve seat member 54. 59 is a stuftng box provided with packing 60. 61 is a spring to keep the valve on its seat when the push button is not actuated. 62 is a discharge port communicating with the torch flow outlet passage 63 which passes through a lug 64 on to which is threaded the control unit 50. The outlet passage 63 communicates with the interior of the tubular member 1 of the control unit and thence with the gas outlet pipe 39 leading to the pilot burner (not shown). 64 is a by-pass passage leading from the inlet side of the valve and registering with the annular passage 37 of the control unit, through which it is in communication with the helical passage 4 and thence by way of the ports and slot passages of the sleeves 3 and 33 and the valve member with the outlet pipe 39.

Referring to Fig. 6, 50 indicates the control unit of Fig. 1, 51 is the torch flow valve device of Fig. 5, connected to the burner bar 65 of a gas range.

The outlet pipe 39 from the control unit leads to 'the pilot burner 66. 67 is a cooking burner, supplied with gas through the pipe 68 as controlled by cock 69.

In operation of the apparatus of Figs. 5 and 6 the gas passes continuously from the gas inlet passage 52 thrugh'the inlet side of chamber 53 and thencethrough the by-pass passage 64 to the annular passage 37. From thence it flows through the helical passage-4 the flowbeing controlled by the length of the helical passage through which the gas required to pass as determined by the position of the valve member 42 which may be turned to by-pass more or less turns of the helical passage as described in connection with Fig. 1. From the helical passage 4 the gas ows through the slots and pOrts determined by the position of valve 42 to the outlet pipe 39 and thence to the pilot burner.

When a cooking burner is to be ignited the cock 69 is opened admitting gas to the ports of burner 67, the push button 57 is pushed in moving the valve 55 oi its seat and admitting a relatively large flow of gas through port 62 and the valve outlet passage 63. From vthence the gas passes through the in terior of the tubular member 1 to the gas outlet pipe 39 and thence to the pilot burner 66 producing a torch flame which is projected to the cooking burner 67 igniting the gas issuing from its ports. The push button is then released, and the spring 61 returns the valve 55 lto its seat cutting oi the torch iloW. 'Ihe pilot ow continues through the by-pass passage 64' and the control unit.

Referring to Fig. 7, 50 generally indicates the control unit of Fig. 1 connected directly to the burner bar 70 of a gas range. 39 is the gas outlet pipe of the control unit leading to the pilot burner 71. 72 is a cooking burner supplied with gas through pipe 73 as controlled by cock 74. 75 is an ignition tube leading from the pilot burner to the working burner. 1n operation, gas passes continuously through the control unit 50 to the pilot burner 71 maintaining the small pilot name. When the cooking burner is to be ignited, the cock 74 is turned admitting gas to the burner. 'I'he gas issuing from a few of the burner ports ows through the ignition tube 75 to the pilot burner, ignites, ashes back and ignites the gas issuing from the rest of the burner ports.

It will be obvious to thosefskilled in the art to which the invention relates that modiiications may be made in details of construction and arrangement and matters of mere form without departing from the spirit of the invention which is not limited to such matters, or otherwise than the prior art and the appended claims may require.

We claim:

1. For a gas pilot light valve, the combination of three nested members of which from the inside out one is a' sleeve having an outlet' end and the second and third are sleeves extending Vbeyond the outlet end of the rst mentioned sleeve, there being provided between theA nrst sleeve and the second sleeve a spiral thread constituting a tight spiral gasway and between the second and third sleeves a series of'parallel ribs providing gas channels, and said second sleeve having a spiral series of ports communicating with the respective gas channels and with progressive turns of the gasway, a gas outlet communicating with the second sleeve at the end of the rst sleeve, a gas intake communicating with the spiral gas way, and a channeled turnable valve at the outlet end of the members and adapted to connect the interior oi the outlet with the respective gas channels substantially as described.

2. A gas pilot light valve structure compn'sing a body having an internal spiral gas way and also having an internal circular series of parallel gas channels communicating respectively with diierent turns of the spiral gas way, means for introducing gas to the spiral gas way, a. gas outlet, and a. turnable valve having a cavity adapted to connect the gas outlet with the respective gas channels. l

3. A pilot light valve structure comprising, in combination, a body having an' internal spiral gas Way and also having aninternal circular 15( annular space communicating with ksaid gas' passeries of parallel gas channels communicating respectively with successive turns of the spiral gas way, a gas outlet pipe communicating with the interior of the body, a flanged nut engaging the exterior of the body, a rotary valve interposed between the end of the body and the ange of the nut and provided with a cavity adapted to connect the gas outlet pipe with the respective gas channels, and a gas inlet to the spiral gas way.

4. A gas pilot light valve structure comprising a body having an internal spiral gas way and also having an internal circular series of parallel gas channels communicating respectively with diierent turns of the spiral gas way, a gas outlet, a turnable valve having a cavity adapted to connect the gas outlet with the respective channels, and gas inlet means comprising a plug connected with the body and having a gas passage and an sage and with the spiral gas way.

5. A gas pilot light valve structure comprising a body having an internal spiral gas way and also having an internal circular series of parallel gas channels communicating respectively with diierent turns of the spiral gas way, a gas outlet, a turnable valve having a cavity adapted to connect the gas outlet with the respective channels, and `a plug attached to the body and having a push button valve and gas passages of which one is through the push button valve to the gas outlet and another is past the push button valve to the spiral gas way, there being a direct passage through the body having the spiral gas Way.

EDWIN L. HALL. EDWARD J. BRADY. 

